Protection of personnel and articles from impact of ballistic devices

ABSTRACT

A design for improvements to the prior art of armor design that incorporates a uniquely designed layer within a multilayered armor fabricated assembly which redirects the supersonic destructive forces entering the assembly to exit the assembly in directions parallel to the surface being protected.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to protective armor for protection of personnel and articles from the supersonic impact of ballistic devices, and to provide an armor design that addresses the forces at the point of projectile impact and the momentum of the projectile and the pressure and temperature from the resulting supersonic shock.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Protective armor is currently available, for example, to the military, law enforcement officers, and peace keepers. Such protective armor is typically positioned either directly on a person (e.g., as body armor or in a flak jacket) or may be attached to the exterior of a vehicle (e.g., a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle, tank, ship, helicopter, etc.) or other structure (e.g., barracks, a watchtower, etc.). For example, armored vehicles commonly have thick metal plates attached on the outer surfaces thereof.

Though the prior art of currently available armor is sometimes capable of preventing projectiles from traveling through the armor the supersonic sonic shock waves generated upon impact typically deforms the back side of the armor (i.e., the side of the armor furthest from the initial point of impact) causing damage and even mortal wounds to the object intended to be protected.

At least in view of the above, it would be desirable to provide protective armor that is capable of adequately protecting objects from the projectiles of powerful weapons. It would also be desirable to provide novel methods for manufacturing such protective armor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to functionally, structurally and practically improve upon prior art to provide protective armor capable of directing the supersonic shock internally within the armor to limit deformation on the backside of the armor to mitigate damage. It is further an object of certain embodiments of the present invention to enhance the prior art such as for example the Hard Faced Ceramic and Plastic Armor R. L. Cook U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,833, the Flexible Protective Armour Material and Method of Making Same L. E. Gates, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,426 and Gulbierz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,418. Though each of these inventions incorporate multi-layered assemblies and one in one case attempts to dampen shock through the laminate fibers none of these inventions have a design feature which enables the supersonic shock and resulting pressure to be vented through the air space provided within the armor at angles parallel to the armor back face greatly reducing or eliminating back-face deformation and the resulting blunt force trauma caused by such deformation and eliminating the shock transmittal through the armor to the object intended to be protected. In addition, it is also an object of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide methods for manufacturing such protective armor.

The foregoing needs are met by certain embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention the protective armor includes a projectile-impact layer a projectile debris collection layer, and in particular a unique layer within this multilayered fabricated assembly with pedestals which when fastened to the debris collection layer that creates air gaps through which, when impacted by the supersonic shock of a projectile, converts to normal shock and the resultant pressure and temperature which is channeled outboard within the assembly, at directions parallel to the surface of the armor back face thus redirecting these forces away from the object the armor is intended to protect.

Another embodiment of the present invention, incorporates a design feature whereby the layer with pedestals may be attached directly to an object such as a vehicle requiring armor protection to create air gaps through which the normal shock and the resultant pressure and temperature is channeled, between the layer and the object redirecting these forces away from such object.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application, to the details of construction, to the number of layers or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments and materials in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of three components of one embodiment of protective armor showing a projectile-impact layer, a projectile debris collection layer and a diffuser layer with pedestals which creates air gaps.

FIG. 2 is a perspective, exploded view of one embodiment of protective armor showing the diffuser layer with pedestals which may be attached directly to an object creating air gaps.

FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of the embodiment of the invention described in FIG. 1 indicating the point of projectile impact, multiple layer and the pressure and the temperature leaving the armor at through the air gaps at directions parallel object being protected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. Certain embodiments of the present invention include protective armor that may be used as a defense against projectiles according to the present discussion.

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view comprising of three components of protective armor 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The protective armor 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a hard, but frangible impact layer 12 with a strike face 14 to receive the momentum of projectile and initiate the breakup of the projectile and to receive the supersonic shock wave. A debris collection layer 16 to receive the breakup particles of the projectile and damaged parts of the impact layer and a diffuser layer with pedestals 28 to diffuse and vent the normal shock wave generated and pressure and temperature forces of the projectile and all layers attached together 10.

FIG. 2 is a perspective, exploded view comprising of two components of protective armor 32 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The protective armor 32 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a hard, but frangible impact layer 12 with a strike face 14 to receive the momentum of projectile and initiate the breakup of the projectile and to receive the supersonic shock wave. A debris collection layer 20 to receive the breakup particles of the projectile and damaged parts of the impact layer with pedestals 28 which would be attached directly to the surface being protected 33 to diffuse and vent the normal shock wave generated and pressure and temperature forces of the projectile and both layers attached together 32

FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of the embodiment of the invention described in FIG. 1 illustrating the impact point 13 of the projectile on the impact layer 12 and illustrates the pressure and the temperature leaving the armor through the air gaps created by the diffuser layer 18 pedestals at directions parallel object being protected. 

1. A layer with pedestals within a multilayered fabricated armor assembly which when fastened to a mating surface create air gaps through which when impacted by the supersonic shock of a projectile converts to normal shock and the resultant pressure and temperature which is channeled, to exit at directions parallel to the surface the armor is intended to protect. 